Structures set to be demolished prove as helpful training tool to CF

ST. MARYS - Before being demolished on Monday, a house on South Michael Street served of great use to the Crystal Fire Department who practiced an array of training techniques on the property.

Bucktail Excavators of St. Marys spent the day demolishing the house located in the vicinity of 349 S. Michael Street.

The property is situated next to the parking lot of the Mountain Laurel Credit Union. Matt Young, City of St. Marys code enforcement officer, stated the credit union purchased the property.

According to CFD Fire Chief Bill Kraus, the department was granted permission by the credit union to utilize the house for training. They conducted five training sessions where firefighters brushed up on their skills involving forcible entry, firefighter survival, air pack usage, hose slide advancements, ventilation and much more.

“Anytime we get the chance to train in an actual structure we do because this gives us more of a real life setting,” Kraus said.

During one training session they staged a situation in which a person was trapped in the basement, but they could not utilize the stairs to access them.

Kraus explained that firefighters cut into an outside wall to place a ladder in order to access the victims.

In the past the CFD has received permission from Straub Brewery to train on two houses in the Brusselles Street area which they purchased and later demolished as part of their visitor center and taproom expansion.

The CFD also utilized a house for training further down on Brusselles Street which the city took ownership of and eventually demolished to construct a bridge to the Downtown Event Park.

“We certainly do appreciate the opportunity if someone is looking to tear down a structure,” Kraus said.

He noted it is rare the fire department would be able to burn an abandoned structure for training purposes due to the amount of red tape which they must navigate.